Track 5: The Better Story The Gospel in today’s world

Lead tutor: Tony Watkins

As well as understanding our identity in Jesus, and our task of making disciples, it is also vital for us to understand the context in which we find ourselves. British society has experienced enormous changes over the last three or four decades, and Christian faith is rapidly being excluded from the public square. How is our task of disciple-making affected by these shifts in culture?

We all know how multicultural and pluralistic the United Kingdom has become. While some welcome people from a huge variety of cultural backgrounds making their home here, others are fearful because of the threat of religious extremism. As a result, the government, corporations, institutions, and individuals insist that the only way we can live peacefully together is by becoming increasingly secular.

If we are to make disciples in this context, we must understand how those we long to reach view the world. What are their beliefs, values, and attitudes? How do they view themselves? How do they make moral decisions? What is really important in life?

Track 5 helps you begin to understand some key aspects of our culture and how the gospel challenges it:

the enormous influence of the media on our thinking and attitudes, and how we can respond to it

how technology transforms our ways of living and relating, and how we can use it wisely

how Christians can participate in an increasingly hostile public square

The track will also equip you to engage with some of the challenging questions which our culture throws up: questions about sexuality, pluralism, science, and suffering.